Caught up in a pre-festive frenzy? You have two choices...

Rebecca needed eight more ladles to get her through...

Whoa there horsey. Yes you. I’m talking to you. The one with the crazed/pinched expression.

Just stop for one minute. Breathe. And let me help.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN STOP JEN? I DON’T HAVE TIME TO STOP.

Now, now – don’t make me use my strict scary voice. Please drop your shoulders, take a breath and listen.

Somewhere in-between the madness of ‘it’s got to be before Christmas’ work deadlines, butcher’s orders, present shopping, family politics, last-minute nativity outfits and wrapping your house and entire person in tinsel – you have a choice. In fact you have two:

CHOICE ONE: FRAZZLE YOURSELF TO A CRISP

CHOICE TWO: TAKE CONTROL

I don’t know about you, but option two sounds infinitely better.

Because the run up to Xmas can be hard. There’s an unspoken pressure that everything's meant to be sparkly and bright. And then (notwithstanding lost loved ones, tricksy living relatives or the cost of living crisis) the rest of the overwhelm comes from you.

I’m sorry, I’m not trying to kick you when you’re down, I am just being direct. Tell me… just how much are you expecting yourself to crack through this month?

And tell me again… if you had a massive project on at work, would you fly by the seat of your pants, not write anything down and hope to magically cram a million things into every hour? Or would you make a plan and plot out what’s possible and when?

I suspect it would be the latter. So why not deal with December like that?

1. BRAIN DUMP. Scribble down your ‘to do’ list. Don’t just put broad headlines like ‘shopping’, add ALL the detail. Every little thing you’re holding in your very full head.
   

2. GET A CUPPA. You may now feel daunted. This is normal. It’s going to get better.
   

3. PLOT AND PLAN. Grab a monthly calendar (paper or electronic, whatever works for you) and add your ‘must do’ commitments first; work, childcare and appointments. Then plonk in the ‘need to’ tasks; all your Xmas prep (don’t forget postage deadlines, time to wrap presents and house prep for visitors). Then add your ‘want to’ items; like taking care of yourself with exercise, social arrangements and time to decompress watching your favourite TV show.
   

4. KEEP SOME BREATHING SPACE. Don’t underestimate how long tasks will take. Don’t fill every minute if you can help it. Everyone needs mental buffer zones so they don’t feel like the Grinch by Christmas.
   

5. GET SET. All that remains now is for you to prep your ‘to do’ list for each day the night before and adjust your monthly plan where you need to.

Sounds a bit anal? Too damn right. You are taking control.

Planning frees up headspace and structure will help you feel calmer. Take a relatively small amount of time now to plot things out and you won’t waste days dashing about willy nilly, feeling overwhelmed and drinking buckets of mulled wine just to make it through. You decide what, when and how. You decide how much you take on. You decide not to make fourteen types of potato with Christmas dinner. You prioritise work that really does need to be done before 2023. You choose to take the pressure off yourself whenever you can.

Wishing you a steady-away lead up to 25 December – and a smug sense of satisfaction that you totally bossed Christmas! Do let me know how you get on at jen@feelbrilliant.today